FIG. 1 illustrates a crimping terminal 110 which is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The crimping terminal 110 includes: an electrical connection portion 111 which is electrically connected to a counter terminal (not illustrated); a conductor crimping portion 112 which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and crimps a conductor (a core) formed by twisting plural wires (electric cables); and a sheath crimping portion 115 which is fixed to the sheath portion of the electric cable. A serration 118 with three grooves is formed in an inner surface 112a of the conductor crimping portion 112. These grooves extend in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the conductor.
When the conductor crimping portion 112 of the crimping terminal 110 crimps the conductor of the electric cable, the wire of the conductor is press-inserted into the groove-like serration 118 while being deformed. At this time, a serration edge which is an edge of the serration 118 tears an oxide coating of the surface of the wire of the conductor, so that a newly-formed surface is formed. As a result, the newly-formed surface comes into close contact with the conductor crimping portion 112 of the crimping terminal 110, so that the crimping terminal 110 and the electric cable are electrically connected to each other.